Hitler's Annexation Of Austria: A Fateful Day In 1938

In 1938, Hitler took control of Austria by forcing Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg to give in to a series of demands. Hitler had been applying political pressure to Austria for some time, and in February 1938, he bullied Schuschnigg into accepting far-reaching demands during a meeting at Berchtesgaden. Schuschnigg's subsequent decision to hold a plebiscite forced Hitler to act quickly, and on March 12, 1938, German troops occupied Austria 24 hours before the plebiscite was due to take place.

Hitler's meeting with Austrian chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg

On 12 February 1938, Hitler met with Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg in Obersalzberg near Berchtesgaden, in the Bavarian Alps. The meeting was called by Hitler, who demanded that von Schuschnigg appoint members of Austria's Nazi Party to his cabinet and grant them full political rights. He also insisted that Arthur Seyss-Inquart be appointed as Minister of the Interior and Security, and that amnesty be granted to imprisoned Nazis. Hitler continuously threatened von Schuschnigg with an immediate invasion of German troops throughout the negotiations.

Von Schuschnigg had become chancellor after his predecessor, Engelbert Dollfuss, was assassinated by members of the Austrian Nazi Party, who were secretly funded by the German Foreign Office in Berlin. Von Schuschnigg rejected Hitler's Pan-German politics and focused on protecting Austria's independence. However, during the February 1938 meeting, Hitler bullied von Schuschnigg into agreeing to his demands, giving Austrian Nazis full and unlimited control of their country's police forces.

Fearing that Hitler intended to take over Austria, von Schuschnigg called for a national plebiscite, or vote, to take place on 13 March, so that Austrians could decide for themselves whether they wished their nation to remain independent or become part of the Third Reich.

The Austrian plebiscite

In 1938, Hitler was ready to take full control of Austria. On February 12, 1938, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg travelled to meet with Hitler. Schuschnigg expected to discuss the tensions between Austria and Germany, but Hitler had other plans. He made a series of demands, including that Austria's foreign and military policies were to be coordinated with Germany's, that Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart was to be placed in charge of policing and security matters, and that Austrian Nazis who had been imprisoned by the Austrian government were to be amnestied. Hitler used the presence of several German generals to intimidate Schuschnigg, who gave in and signed the agreement.

Schuschnigg's subsequent decision to hold a plebiscite, however, forced Hitler to act quickly. On March 9, Schuschnigg called a national vote to resolve the question of Anschluss, or "annexation", once and for all. Before the plebiscite could take place, Schuschnigg gave in to pressure from Hitler and resigned on March 11. In his resignation address, under coercion from the Nazis, he pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist a German "advance" into the country. That evening, Austrian radio announced the cancellation of the upcoming plebiscite on Austrian independence.

The next day, on March 12, 1938, German troops occupied Austria.

The role of Italian leader Benito Mussolini

In 1938, Italian leader Benito Mussolini abandoned the idea of intervening to protect Austria from Hitler. Mussolini had previously been a source of support for Austria, but by 1938 he had stepped back from this role.

The Austrian Nazi conspiracy

In 1938, Austrian Nazis conspired to seize the Austrian government by force and unite their nation with Nazi Germany. This was the second time in four years that Austrian Nazis had attempted to take control of the government.

In February 1938, Austrian Chancellor Kurt von Schuschnigg travelled to meet with Hitler. Schuschnigg expected to discuss the tensions between Austria and Germany, but Hitler was ready to take full control of Austria. He made a series of demands, including that Austria's foreign and military policies were to be coordinated with Germany's, that Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart was to be placed in charge of policing and security matters, and that Austrian Nazis who had been imprisoned by the Austrian government were to be amnestied. Hitler used the presence of several German generals to intimidate Schuschnigg, who gave in and signed the agreement.

Schuschnigg's subsequent decision to hold a plebiscite forced Hitler to act quickly, and on March 12, 1938, German troops occupied Austria 24 hours before the plebiscite was due to be held. On March 9, Schuschnigg had called a national vote to resolve the question of Anschluss, or "annexation," once and for all. However, before the plebiscite could take place, Schuschnigg gave in to pressure from Hitler and resigned on March 11. In his resignation address, under coercion from the Nazis, he pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist a German "advance" into the country.

The Anschluss took place over three days in March 1938. Even though the Nazi threat to Austria had been clear for years, people were still surprised and caught off guard. On March 11, Hitler gave the Austrian government a series of ultimatums, including that Chancellor Schuschnigg must call off the plebiscite and that Austrian president Wilhelm Miklas must appoint Seyss-Inquart as the new Austrian chancellor. If these demands were not met, the German military would invade Austria. Schuschnigg gave in, and that evening, Austrian radio announced the cancellation of the upcoming plebiscite on Austrian independence.

The German occupation of Vienna

In 1938, Hitler took over Austria by forcing the Austrian chancellor, Kurt von Schuschnigg, to agree to his demands. On February 12, 1938, Schuschnigg travelled to meet Hitler, expecting to discuss the tensions between Austria and Germany. However, Hitler was ready to take full control of Austria and presented a series of demands, including that Austria's foreign and military policies be coordinated with Germany's, that Austrian Nazi Arthur Seyss-Inquart be placed in charge of policing and security matters, and that Austrian Nazis imprisoned by the Austrian government be amnestied. Hitler used the presence of several German generals to intimidate Schuschnigg, who gave in and signed the agreement.

Schuschnigg's subsequent decision to hold a plebiscite forced Hitler to act quickly, and on March 12, 1938, German troops occupied Austria 24 hours before the plebiscite was due to take place. This occupation, known as the Anschluss, took place over three days in March 1938. On March 9, Schuschnigg called a national vote to resolve the question of the Anschluss once and for all. However, before the plebiscite could take place, Schuschnigg gave in to pressure from Hitler and resigned on March 11. In his resignation address, under coercion from the Nazis, he pleaded with Austrian forces not to resist a German "advance" into the country.

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